RESEARCH No.2

Greenland Falcon

one of his many measured drawings that he did in his studio at home where he

usually drew from stuffed birds or most commonly, dead birds that he had

found or people had brought to him to use.

For my personal project ( Birds of Argyll & The Islands) i've been doing a shed load of research. One person i have fallen completely in love with is the late Charles Tunnicliffe. He devoted most of his life to the study of birds, which he drew hundreds of precise and measured drawings of from both Cheshire meres and Anglesey where he lived until his death .

peregrine falcon. Wood Engraving, 1947.

He was most well known for his amazing skill for etching and wood-engraving. I think the reason i love his work so much is partly because of the type of man he was. He was raised on a small farm and was described as a warm hearted, down-to-earth countryman. I share his fascination with the countryside and all it's colours and wildlife having spent a lot of my childhood looking after animals, playing outdoors and helping in the allotment.

watercolour thumbnails Tunnicliffe did in his sketchbook before the finished painting

Looking at Tunnicliffe's work, i would like to try etching for some of my illustrations this year. I like how every line is picked up and every mark you make has to be kept, it gives the work a lot of energy.